Rico Racks, a London drill rapper, has been jailed for three years for drug offences and issued with an order that forbids him from rapping certain words.
Racks, real name Ervine Kimpalu, of Kings Cross, pleaded guilty to supplying class A drugs and possessing criminal property in the form of cash. Police raids on addresses linked to Kimpalu uncovered thousands of pounds in cash, and drugs with a street value of £7,000.
Kimpalu’s rap tracks openly referenced his drug trade: one video features a shot of a pan on a stove being used to prepare drugs, with lines such as: “Now I’ve got to move all this food [drugs] … If I fuck up you know I’m screwed.”
As part of his sentence, he was given a criminal behaviour order for five years. It prevents him from rapping words such as bandoe (a house used for drug dealing and consumption), trapping (dealing), and connect (a drugs contact). He is also banned from saying whipping, a slang term used for driving that has also been used to refer to drug preparation.
Bans that restrict rappers from using certain words, or entering certain areas, have become increasingly used by police. West London drill rappers 1011 were banned from mentioning rival groups in their music, while duo Skengdo x AM were given suspended prison sentences for performing one of their tracks, Attempted 1.0, at a live gig.
This kind of legislation has been criticised by free-speech groups. Index on Censorship CEO Jodie Ginsberg told the Guardian following the Skengdo x AM case: “The law already prevents individuals from directly inciting violence, but such wide-ranging bans go well beyond this. They are not the way to handle ideas or opinions that are distasteful or disturbing, and do nothing to address the issues that lead to the creation of this kind of music.”
